Why Taylor Swift’s Response to Kobe Bryant Was So Personal

Hundreds of stars admired Kobe Bryant for his basketball talents and his drive to be the best, but Taylor Swift's response to the NBA legend's death on Sunday (Jan. 26) took a more personal tone.

"Kobe meant so much to me and to us all," she wrote on Twitter hours after news broke that Bryant and his 13-year-old daughter were two of nine people killed in a helicopter crash west of Los Angeles. "Sending my prayers, love, and endless condolences to Vanessa and the family and anyone who lost someone on that flight."

The friendship between Bryant and Swift goes back 4-and-a-half years, to when she sold out her record 16th show at the Staples Center in L.A., home to Bryant's Los Angeles Lakers (he retired in 2016).

During the show, Bryant surprised Swift by first admitting he was a fan, then presenting her with a banner in the rafters. It was an emotional moment that included hugs and probably a few tears. Bryant talked about being a Swift fan as recently as September 2019 when he was a guest on the Jordan Harbinger Show.